Start writing your letters to Petsmart!!

[Sopher7132]

I recieved this e-mail from Red Door Animal Shelter in Chicago today. This does not just apply to rabbits but all animals they sell!! This may not change things but it's a start!


To:
From: "Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary"
Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:47:01 -0400
Subject: RE: [bundergroundrr] PetsMart Campaign
Reply-To: bundergroundrr@yahoogroups.com.au


I forwarded the information on Petsmart selling
rabbits to my email list of
GLRS volunteers. One very astute volunteer sent
the following suggestions
in response, and she says it is fine to forward
this anywhere:

Hi, everybody!

This struck me as extremely odd, given that the
House Rabbit Society is one
of the Petsmart Charities. I used to work for
Petsmart, and my former boss
is now the store manager at the new Petsmart
location near my current job
(too weird!). So, when I cruised in yesterday
morning to buy some bun
litter, I asked him about this bunny initiative.

He tells me that they're test-marketing this idea
in just a few stores, and
that it will "only" be dwarf rabbits. Not that
that makes it the
least bit better, but I gotta give him points for
at least attempting to
set my mind at ease. I know what he meant.

My Dad is borrowing my car, so I'll be stranded at
work (or "The
Plantation", as we like to call it) all day today.
Tomorrow, however, I'll
go back over and ask him if there's a specific
person or persons we should
address letters to.

In the meantime, I have a suggestion. I currently
work in a department that
handles both written and phoned-in complaints. I
know from my own personal
experience that multi-page rants do NOT get you
what you want. They DO bring
out people's spiteful side, though: not only does
your request get denied,
you usually get made fun of for a few hours, too.
Threats to refuse to
patronize a place will just elicit eye-rolls: for
every one person that
doesn't buying stuff there, there's eight that
will. There are no words to
describe your individual insignificance in the
grand scheme of things. I'm
just telling you what really happens here!

Given that, and what I know about the way Petsmart
corporate thinks, I would
advise a different approach. If you live with a
bun -- and especially if
your bun was a rescue -- write and tell them your
furry friend's story. If
there was abuse, if there was neglect, or if there
was just a lonely little
lagomorph languishing at a shelter, tell them all
about it. Tell them how
your bunny came to live with you, and how he/she
has become a part of your
life. And send pictures. Good pictures. Show them
that your bunny is very
much a member of your family -- just like a dog, a
cat, or even your kids!
Let them see the condos, the piles of toys, the
play places just for your
bun (and if your bunny has his/her own room,
they've really gotta see
that!). Show them your bun at play: binkying
across the living room; skating
across a hardwood floor; investigating the grocery
bags; tormenting the cat;
trying to fly a plastic bag (my guy's personal
favorite pastime); climbing
the bookcase; watching t.v.; inspecting your
cleaning job; begging for
treats; modeling that birthday hat you bought
him....whatever your bun is
into. And if you have a Senior Bun (8 or older),
definitely tell them how
your relationship with your wise old friend has
grown and changed over the
years.

Our goal is to alter their perception of
rabbits-as-pets. Pictures and
stories give things a depth and meaning that cold
hard stats and nasty words
never will, in large part because people can
relate to them. People forget
numbers, but images remain. Think about it.

So, my bunny biographers, get those pens,
keyboards and cameras going! Hard
copies are better than e-mails (give them
something they can touch; make it
real!), but one more thing: if you can help it,
try not to use white paper
or envelopes. Something with a little color to it
will stand out in heaps of
mail that cross this person's desk, and likely
pique their curiosity. If
you're able to send your letter via USPS Priority
Mail, that's even better:
when you've got twenty envelopes on your desk and
one of those, something
about those big Priority envelopes always makes
you wanna open them first!

peace, love, and nose wiggles,
Jackie Thorne


Lake Jacobson, Executive Director
Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary
PO Box 7
Whittaker, MI 48190
734/461-1726
www.rabbitsanctuary.org